No risk to public after armed man spotted in Iqaluit: RCMP

RCMP officers arrest and charge a man with firearms offences in Iqaluit June 1. On June 14, police responded to a report of shots fired in the same neighbourhood, although it appears the man died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. (FILE PHOTO)

(Corrected June 17)

The Nunavut RCMP says there is no risk to public safety after an armed man was spotted walking through Iqaluit’s Happy Valley neighbourhood late June 14.

Residents reported seeing a man heading towards the cemetery and the Apex trail some time after 10 p.m.

Iqaluit RCMP said officers responded to a report of shots fired near the graveyard at about 11 p.m.

When officers arrived, they found a 30-year-old deceased man, the RCMP said June 15.

The RCMP does not typically report on suicides, but because the man was seen armed in a public space, police wanted to assure Iqaluit residents that there was no risk to their safety.

Several Iqalungmiut began posting to social media June 14 at 10:30 p.m., reporting sightings of an armed man, because they were concerned for the safety of residents who were known to be walking their dogs along the Apex trail at the time.

By morning, some of those postings on Facebook had been removed.

This is the second incident involving an armed resident in Nunavut’s capital in recent weeks; on June 1, police arrested a distraught man on the sea ice after he was seen carrying a rifle through town.

The suspect was later charged with careless use of a firearm.

The following week, police in Pond Inlet arrested a 27-year-old man who was alleged to have fired shots around that northern Baffin community early June 6.

Police discovered bullet holes in a nearby vehicle, as well as in the window of a nearby residence where the vehicle was parked, although no residents were injured.

Jaime Ootoovak, 27, faces a number of charges relating to the incident, including two counts of discharging a firearm, careless use of a firearm, assault and possessing a firearm while prohibited.

An earlier version of this article reported that the Office of the Chief Coroner of Nunavut ordered an autopsy to determine the man’s cause of death. RCMP have since confirmed that there will be no autopsy.